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The percentage of island countries that are democratic is higher than that of continental countries. Historically they have been less prone to political instability than their continental counterparts.[1]

Island countries have often been the basis of maritime conquest and historical rivalry between other countries.[2]
Island countries are more susceptible to attack by large, continental countries due to their size and dependence on sea and air lines of communication.[3]
Many island countries are also vulnerable to predation by mercenaries and other foreign invaders,[4]
although their isolation also makes them a difficult target.

Some island countries are more affected than other countries by climate change, which produces problems such as reduced land use, water scarcity and sometimes even resettlement issues. Some low-lying island countries are slowly being submerged by the rising water levels of the Pacific Ocean.[7]
Climate change also impacts island countries by causing natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, hurricanes, flash floods and drought.[8] In 2011, the Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL) held a conference attended by 272 registrants from 39 island nations titled Legal Issues for Threatened Island Nations.[9]

Many island countries rely heavily on imports and are greatly affected by changes in the global economy.[10]
Due to the nature of island countries their economies are often characterised by being smaller, relatively isolated from world trade and economy, more vulnerable to shipping costs, and more likely to suffer environmental damage to infrastructure; exceptions include Japan and the United Kingdom.[11][12][13]
The dominant industry for many island countries is tourism.[14]

Geographically, the country of Australia is considered a continental landmass rather than an island, covering the largest landmass of the Australian continent. In the past, however, it was considered an island country for tourism purposes[16] (among others) and is sometimes referred to as such.[17]